


Little Dreamings

by orphan_account



Category: Little Women Series - Louisa May Alcott
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-12-23
Updated: 2004-12-23
Packaged: 2018-01-25 05:18:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1633559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for stubbleglitter</p>
    </blockquote>





	Little Dreamings

**Author's Note:**

> Written for stubbleglitter

 

 

There is no doubt that most of what occurred that day should be blamed on John Brooke. For it was he who was so fond of fairies and far-away lands, devouring storybooks and dreaming of magic. Margaret Brooke certainly would have been content to stay at home with her dolls and little cooking stove. She preferred cooking to conjuring. A little fault must lie at the feet of Nathaniel Blake, for without his fiddle they would never have managed the thing properly. As for Daniel Kean, why he never meant to get involved at all.

'Daisy,' Demi said to his sister.

'Yes, dear?'

'I have something I want to tell you.'

'What it is, Demi?' Daisy laid down her sewing and looked up at him gravely. Demi was twisting his handkerchief and looking down at his feet. She felt a little worried. 'What is wrong?'

'Nothing is wrong. It's just that I have a secret that I want to tell you. But you have to promise not to tell anyone just yet.'

'Goodness. Is it a surprise?'

'It is _like_ a surprise,' Demi paused. 'Do you promise?'

'Of course I do,' Daisy patted the bench next to her. 'Tell me all about it.'

Demi sat down as though he was very tired. Daisy noted with alarm the holes in the knees of his trousers, and the scratches on his hands.

'What have you been doing, Demi?' she asked him gently.

'I have been finding things. Places. Other places,' Demi waved his hands in the air, eyes glowing. 'I want you to come and see.'

'You've been climbing trees,' Daisy noted. 'Did you find a bird's nest? You should take Dan with you to see.'

'Not a bird's nest!' Demi exclaimed. 'Something _amazing_. Do you remember the Naughty Kitty-Mouse?'

'Ye-es,' answered Daisy, doubtfully. 'Aunt Jo said we shouldn't play like that anymore.'

'This isn't play. This is something real. But I need you to come with me. It wants you.'

***

What Demi showed Daisy that morning was just a grove of trees, but she shivered to see it. She could feel that something was wrong, feel something tingling beneath her feet. She clutched Demi's hand nervously.

'What is it?' she asked, drawing her shawl closer around herself.

'Sit down with me, ' Demi instructed her, settling himself down in the dirt. Daisy sat next to him, queer sensations making her knees weak.

'Oh!' she said, as the trees of the grove wavered and misted before her eyes. 'I think I'm going to be ill, Demi.'

He didn't answer her, intent on staring out into the distance.

***

Daisy was mixing up eggs and minced beef and spices to make patties when she felt the odd feeling again. Her hands shook as she sprinkled salt into her mixing bowl. She could feel the trees dancing before her eyes, even though she was safe and warm in the nursery at Plumfield.

As abruptly as it began, it ended, and Daisy realised Nat had been playing his fiddle in the hall outside. She called him in, and gave him a currant bun. He blushed and smiled at her, sitting carefully as though he was trying not to take up too much room.

'What is the song you were playing just now?' she asked him.

He blushed again. 'It's something Demi was humming last night. I don't know the name of it.'

'Has he heard you play it?'

'No. Do you think he'd be cross?'

'Not cross,' Daisy tried to reassure Nat. 'I think you'd better ask him to tell you his secret.'

'And Dan too?' Nat looked up hopefully. 'He's worried about the Deacon, says he's been doing odd things lately, tramping around alone everyday.'

'Oh dear,' Daisy sighed. 'Very well. You had better come with us tomorrow morning. Bring your fiddle, and Dan too, if you wish.'

***

This much they could all agree on. That morning, they met underneath the beech tree, just before dawn. Daisy had brought muffins for them, wrapped neatly in a cloth. She had some apples, too, in another pocket, so they made a kind of breakfast as they walked through the woods. It was when they reached the grove, that they could not agree on a version of events. Demi said that everything became suddenly bright, and after a moment, he did not know where he was. Nat said that Demi started humming again, so naturally he took out his fiddle and began to play. Daisy said that her head started to ache, which is why she sat down so suddenly. Dan was completely silent on the entire matter.

***

**_Demi's story_ **

A rock slips under his foot, and Demi lurches forward. He tries to catch his balance, tries to keep his sword from plunging into the six-fingered man, tries not to take the kill, not like this. His right arm sweeps across, and the six-fingered man throws his hands up in defence, grabbing the blade and forcing it away from himself.

There is blood everywhere.

'Oh,' Demi says, when the clatter of the six-fingered man's sword falling to the ground dies away.

'Ah,' the six-fingered man says, stumbling backwards to sit with a thump on the ground.

There is silence for a few moments, Demi is speechless, his sword still hovering mid-air.

'Look,' the six-fingered man says. 'Do you mind? I'm obviously not going anywhere just now, and that's awfully distracting.'

'Sorry,' Demi answers, slightly hypnotised by the steady stream of blood pooling on the ground. He doesn't know how much blood a man has, but there seems to be rather a lot dripping from the six-fingered man's hands and the cut in his neck. Demi clears his throat.

'Ahem. My name is Demi Brooke. You killed my father. Prepare to die.'

The six-fingered man does not look up.

'I didn't kill your father, you stupid brat.'

Demi frowns.

'My name is Demi Brooke. You killed my father? Prepare to die?'

'I _said_ , I didn't kill your father. People die everyday without somebody killing them, you know. Carriage accidents, childbirth. For goodness' sake, you can't just roam around demanding vengeance for every death.'

Demi lowers his sword. 'You lost me there.'

'Death comes to us all,' the six-fingered man says, 'Mostly, there's no point in getting angry about it.'

***

**_Nat's story_ **

Nat thinks it's wonderful to see a smile spread across Dan's face. It reaches his eyes this time, and that's something Nat hasn't seen in a lot, the past few weeks. A little breathtaking, as the dark shadows smooth out, and Nat knows that he's never going to find anything to compare to Dan's brand of bad boy sexy.

'I don't know if I can come home for Chrismukkah this year,' Dan says, and there's a little hesitation there that Nat might worry about if he wasn't watching the movement of Dan's throat so intently.

'Oh man, you got to come home. The pool house would be so empty. Lonely! Empty!' Nat waves his hands around. 'Look, come home and I promise you presents and a tree.'

'A tree.' Dan looks steadily at Nat. Nat grins across at him.

'A tree! And latkes and stockings and egg-nog, and did I mention the presents already? Mom is making you a quilt. She's been taking craft classes to get back in touch with her inner woman. It's going to be hideous, I'm just warning you.'

'Jo is quilting now?' Dry, amused voice that Nat finds as sexy as hell, but then, he finds pretty much everything about Dan as sexy as hell.

'So we'll see you there, then?'

'I wouldn't miss it for the world.' Dan almost smiles Nat grins back, little fountain of glee bubbling up inside him.

'You are officially my favourite person,' Nat leans in and hugs Dan quickly, trying to both ignore and savour the length of Dan's body pressed against him. He can't help nuzzling Dan's neck just a little, and breathing in the warm, woollen sweater scent of him.

'Christ, Daniel,' Nat lets Dan go reluctantly. 'You are one hell of a sexy motherfucker. Why can't I be bringing you home for Christmas as my date, and not my brother?'

Nat laughs at Dan's confusion. 'And on that note, would you help me down to the car with all my shit? I hate to say goodbye, but the beaches of Plum Field and daiquiris await.'

Nat puts his backpack and violin case into Dan's hands, picking up his wallet and his keys. 'Lead the way,' he cries. 'To Mount Doom! Or the parking lot!'

***

**_Daisy's story_ **

'HUFFLEPUFF!' The Sorting Hat shouts, and Daisy slides off the stool and tries not to cry. Demi is sitting at the Ravenclaw table, and she doesn't know why they are separated. Surely there must be a mistake of some kind. She stumbles over to the Hufflepuff table and someone passes her a handkerchief.

'Buck up,' the boy whispers, 'Hufflepuff isn't so bad. We have the best common room of all. And the house elves like us and we get gingerbread and popcorn every night.'

'I'm not crying because of Hufflepuff,' Daisy sniffles. 'I just miss my brother.'

'Why?' the boy asks her. 'I don't miss _my_ brothers.'

'We're twins,' Daisy explains, blowing her nose loudly. 'We're supposed to be together.'

'Ah,' the boy looks over to the Ravenclaw table. 'That your brother there? The blond one?'

Daisy nods.

'Well, _he_ don't seem too upset, I don't see why you oughter be,' the boy sticks out a rather grimy hand. 'Tommy Bangs,' he announces.

'Margaret Brooke,' Daisy replies, taking his hand cautiously. 'But my f-f-family call me Daisy.'

'Oh would you look at her,' Tommy rolls his eyes. 'She's off crying again. Here, have some mashed potato. You'll feel better with some food in you.'

Tommy serves her an alarmingly large portion. Daisy is homesick again instantly.

'Demi likes mashed potato,' she says mournfully. 'I used to make it for him every Friday.'

'I can see your brother likes mash, look at him tucking in. I bet the house elves have a job keeping him full of food.'

Daisy sighs.

'Look,' Tommy Bangs says around a mouthful of food. 'I think it's brilliant that you two have been split up. Now you can both be your own person, instead of two people playing at being one. Besides, Ravenclaws are horribly boring. Hufflepuff is a jolly good house, you'll enjoy it here.'

Daisy notices Demi laughing and talking with the Ravenclaws around him. Suddenly, she feels a little resentful.

'Do you really think so?' she asks, wiping the last of her tears.

'I really think so,' Tommy Bangs grins at her. 'Why don't you try a sausage, too? Sausages are awfully good.'

***

**_Dan's story_ **

It is Demi, of course it is, who catches Dan staring. He looks naked and Dan can't figure out why that seems to be such a good thing. Why there is a slight smile on his lips even as he turns to watch Dan studying him. Demi stops still for a minute, and just lets Dan look. When Demi gets up, he touches Dan's neck, rubbing his fingers into the sore knots Dan hasn't been able to do anything about.

When Demi moves to straddle Dan's lap, Dan feels the brush of stubble, softer than it looks. He smiles because it tickles. He leans in a little further, and he tilts his head and sighs when Demi kisses him. For a minute he rests against Demi's lips, and then he feels the tip of Demi's tongue sliding slowly into his mouth and everything melts.

Dan has never been kissed like this, like Christmas and birthdays and warm liquor in his belly. He realises with a shock that he is being seduced by the golden boy of pop, and all he can do is drop his hands down to Demi's waist and open his mouth for more. Demi is heavy all around him, murmuring beautiful beautiful, and Dan almost can't catch his breath.

Dan feels warm from being touched, being held and it is like releasing a long held breath. Dan figures that happiness should feel more familiar than this.

'I feel like I just won a Grammy,' Dan mutters into Demi's skin.

'I have four Grammies,' Demi whispers back. 'You want one?'

'I have the same amount as you,' Dan squirms as Demi's hand closes around him. 'We're in the same band, remember?'

'Oh,' Demi breathes. 'Yeah, forgot that.'

'Demi Brooke,' Dan kisses Demi. 'The cute one.'

'Dan Kean,' Demi kisses back. 'The dangerous one.'

***

It is doubtful whether it will ever be possible to be certain of the events of that day, though possibly it marked the end of childhood for them all. Eventually, Dan left for the goldmines of California, only returning for Demi's wedding. Daisy embarked on a course of study, to the surprise of her family. Nat travelled to Spain with his violin, searching for sunshine. As for Demi, he stopped chasing after fairy-tales.

 


End file.
